I think for the roles she is also taking into account the emotional and mental aspects of the portrayal as well. The Phantom and Christine are incredibly vocally challenging roles, but they are not as developed as other characters. True, the Phantom is a very deep character, but other roles such as Evan Hansen require more emotional development.
While Evan Hansen is absolutely a challenging role, especially for actors in their late teens/early 20's and considering how emotionally taxing it is, it belongs in this list but not at #1
It's not even half as taxing as the role of Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde. Seriously, you could ask any actor, young and old, that has taken on the role of Jekyll/Hyde, and they will tell you just how insanely strenuous it is on the vocal chords, body, and mind.
Speaking from the point of view of someone who has depression, anxiety and had suicidal thoughts for someone to portray that numerous times a week it is without doubt the most emotionally and mentally taxing thing possible. Not to mention that this is a high tenor role and therefore vocally strenuous. I recently saw it on the west end and was absolutely blown away by Sam tutty’s portrayal of anxiety and depression.
Speaking as someone who has zero expertise in this field, from the outside it seems to be an insanely difficult role vocally not to mention emotionally, plus the amount of stage time this character has seems quite high compared to other roles...when Ben Platt left the role after his run they replaced him with 2 actors to cover all the shows he was doing, I feel like that serves as a seemingly good indication of how taxing it must be!! He is so amazing, I loved that musical..... although I love most of these lol
I saw Phantom of the Opera live and I actually scream during the Chandler drop because it only stop about ten feet from the audiences head I as in row 20 and it drop above row 1-10 ish lol so I was close to it ,also the gunfire also made me yelp as well
• Phantom~ Phantom of the opera • Javert ~ Les Mis • Judas~ JCS • Jesus ~ JCS • Jack Kelly~ Newsies • JD~ Heathers • Nick Bottom~ Something Rotten • Shakespeare ~ Something Rotten • Rum Tum Tugger~ Cats • Aaron Burr~ Hamilton .... Just a few that were better than some of the mentions on here.... anyone else got some for me to add??
Leading player (Pippin) Sponge bob (sponge bob the musical) Billy (Chicago) Patrick (sponge bob musical) Gomez (Addams Family musical) Squidward (sponge bob musical) Mr. Krabs (sponge bob musical) Plankton (sponge bob musical) Edit: half of these roles require good dancing skills, not using your actual speaking voice when talking, and also a powerful vocal range as well.
Phantom is shouldn't be that hard vocally for most baritones. Many men seem to stay in the role for a long time and keep coming back to it. Can't be that hard
Joseph Johnson most phantoms are actually tenors though. Add the 8 shows a week and the acting, it’s certainly not an easy role and frankly more difficult than some roles on here.
Layfette has one hard song, both Burr and Hamilton are much harder roles. Che from Evita, Phantom from The Phantom of the Opera and Billy from Billy Elliot should all be on this list. Also swap Jean Valjean and Evan.
idk about Hamilton.....burr is def harder but Hamilton seems like one of the easiest main roles Ive seen in a major Broadway play. As long as you remember the rap lyrics youre good, theres no tricky choreography or hard notes to hit.
@@LadyJuse yeah there isn't that many to compare it to, Broadway isn't renowned for its rap. Daveed himself said it isn't the hardest rap to perform. You really just need to master the words and your fine. There isn't very much emotional complexity behind like Hamilton's rap in My Shot.
As much as I'd love to complain about Jean Valjean not being first, I'm happy to see The Great Comet of 1812 FINALLY being acknowledged on this channel
I'm surprised that Judas or Jesus from Jesus Christ Superstar wasn't on here. They basically sing throughout the entire play. Not much dialogue in the play.
👏👏👏 amen the sheer vocal talent of Jesus alone is staggering. I mean from the lowest note which is like low tenor all the was up to those notes that even as a soprano I have trouble hitting. AND Ted Neely can STILL hit those and he’s in his like 70s. This video is stupid.
Okay so in the hardest female roles you guys didn't even mention Christine and in this video you guys didn't even mention Phantom like do you think those roles are easy or something
It's a sin to leave "Jesus" off the list! The role is so difficult that the touring production decided to keep Ted Neeley in the role until he was almost 70.
#10- 0:51- Peter Allen- "The Boy from Oz" #9- 2:04- Pierre Bezukhov- "Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812" #8- 3:19- Sweeney Todd- "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" #7- 4:23- Jerry Mulligan- "An American Paris" #6- 5:30- Hedwig- "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" #5- 6:37- Lafayette/ Thomas Jefferson- "Hamilton" #4- 7:54- Dr. Henry Jekyll/ Edward Hyde- " Jekyll and Hyde" #3- 9:06- The D'Ysquith Family- "A Gentlemen's Guide to Love and Murder" #2- 10:17- Jean Valjean- "Les Mis" Honorable mentions- JD- "Heathers: The musical" Huey Calhoun- "Memphis" Danny Novitski- "Bandstand" #1- 12:21- Evan Hansen- "Dear Evan Hansen"
Hedwig should have been so much higher, definitely in the top three. It’s such an incredibly complex role to play with so many deep levels, not to mention the costume changes! The actors don’t get nearly enough credit for pulling off such a wonderfully complex role. And really? Evan? Yes it’s hard to portray his mental health well but it isn’t that difficult or complex and the vocals are just a bunch of riffs. Yes Ben Platt is amazing but it doesn’t deserve to be at the top of the list. Don’t put it at the top just because it’s a popular and mainstream musical right now. Same point with Hamilton. It’s time to start basing these rankings on genuine reason and not just clickbaiting with what’s popular to please the masses.
To portray mental health in the way some of the actors do which is believable yet not offensively stereotypical is extremely difficult. I saw Sam tutti play Evan on the west end and a lot of the small gestures (pulling clothing closer, not looking people in the eye, hugging urself) are things that I do myself regularly (I have depression, anxiety and been suicidal in the past) and to see it portrayed on stage by people that are so young is phenomenal. Yes a number of the characters may be difficult but the actors are significantly older most Evans are in late teens or early 20s
I'm not one for saying "you should have picked this or that", and I understand your reasoning for all parts mentioned, and you can't do them all, but I was expecting the phantom to be someone up there
Well, a lot of roles are really complex in there own ways, evan is super difficult in more ways then just singing. The actor has to belt is heart out in like 5 different songs and needs to make himself SOB in words fail. So you might think its cause deh is new and popular, but it's a super challenging role
I don't mean to shove a bunch of facts down your throat to make you side with me or anything, however I believe that Evan Hansen does earn the spot when you look deeper into the character. First, because the actor would have to have a range from G2-B4 which would be a combination of tenor and baritone ranges, as most often tenors can only hit as low as a C3. Not to mention that singing while sobbing is about one of the hardest thing an actor or actress can do, as most people lose their clarity or their voice begins to warp, ruining the effect. Also, while very talented actors can pull off the highs and lows that Evan's character required, staying in that believable character is far more difficult than one would expect. Evan suffers from crippling anxiety which calls for constant fidgeting, facial tics, nail biting, slouched posture, etc. Ben Platt even goes so far as to have Evan almost curling in on himself to refrain from taking up too much space which, for someone with social anxiety, Ben's portrayal is spot on. The crippling anxiety that Evan's character possesses requires a deep and complete understanding of the illness, that without it, can cause the show to look fake or distant. I think that what puts Evan Hansen at #1 is the need to almost take on the crippling anxiety and all the guilt, shame and loneliness Evan has in order to make it believable and effective, and not to mention relateable to the audience, undoubtedly the majority of whom are fighting crippling anxiety, or who have a family member who is. Again I hope I don't seem like I'm shoving things down your throat, you're entitled to your own opinion, however, with how much I love Dear Evan Hansen, I couldn't not fight for the show.
melaa_xo For 5 minutes throw out an entire song where you have to sing quite high and show that the character is feeling remorse, anxiety and guilt? Yes, lots of characters have to cry in stage, but Ben Platt would cry so hard that his makeup would come off, while singing absolutely perfectly. You really have to get across emotions to show that the character isn’t sad that he was found out, but that he feels genuine guilt for what he did and how he hurt people
When you take the perspective of the actor they will agree that no role is easier than another. It may be easier for an actor to channel certain emotions, but no role is easy. Actors have to spend a lot of time learning who their character is and how they respond and react to the world around them. Some roles may seem easy, but it's an actor's job to make it look easy. On top of that it also depends on natural or developed skills an actor has when they are given a character. The new emotions, thoughts, and actions can increase the difficulty an actor has portraying the character. So in the end this list shouldn't have truly existed in the first place other than to spotlight that music theater and performing arts itself has its challenges. Thanks for listening to my Ted Talk.
I'm glad Jekyll and Hyde made it on here, being two of the lead characters simultaneously, in a show that's 80% power ballads isn't easy. also Ms Mojo's French pronunciation makes me want to punch someone.
No mention of Billy Bigelow from Carousel? The actor literally has an *eight minute soliloquy* at the end of the first act! It requires a tremendous amount of vocal control and acting chops!
I don't think MsMojo is concerned with anything before 1960, as far as musicals go. I'm with you, Billy is a tough role. But they don't want to remember the great stuff that came out in our grandparents and great grandparents day, and there was a lot.
@@robertofenloch9595 yes he was, and a drunk as well. But Sweeney Todd killed people, Jean Valjean was a thief, so the characters moral compass shouldn't be an issue.
The Phantom is not a hard role, or very interesting for a male performer, plus when you add up His appearances on stage it’s under 30mins of stage time, even when he is hidden causing cray cray, it’s pre recorded voice work.
Joseph Johnson first, it’s lip-synced because it is such a high note that even skilled actresses can have trouble hitting and is damaging. so in order to make the show as perfect as can be, it it lip synced. and it is the actress’ voice. next, they have stun doubles walking across the stage that need to lip sync so it looks real each time. and lastly, they have an alternate doing 2/8 shows due to it being vocally demanding (soprano AND opera) and physically demanding (ballet and being thrown around on stage).
@@JosephJohnson-gu5fw I was recently in my high school's production of Phantom of the Opera. Yes, it was a high school, but don't discredit us because of that. Respectfully letting you know that everyone in the cast sang those high notes every night no matter what. It's bold of you to assume that those notes are lipsynced, because I have seen the amount of training it takes to be able to hit that for 7 shows a week.
Why is Wolverine wearing golden pants and swing his hips he looks like Heather Mcnamara AND WHY IS BELLATRIX LESTRANGE GETTING A MURDER HAIRCUT THIS ISNT RIGHT
I am flabbergasted roles like Jelly Roll Morton (from Jelly’s Last Jam), The Phantom (from The Phantom of the Opera), Judas (from Jesus Christ Superstar), Bobby (from Company), Harold Hill (from The Music Man), Pseudolus (from a Funny Thing Happened on the Way To the Forum), Don Quixote / Cervantes (from the Man of La Mancha), Emcee (from Cabaret), The Lead Player (from Pippin) and Curtis Taylor (from Dreamgirls) weren’t here or even placed in the honorable mentions’ list. Any these roles were much more difficult than a good percentage of the roles selected for this list.
All your choices should have been on here...except I'm for Jesus rather than Judas, obviously. And what about Claude from Hair? I mean, the dude has to get naked on stage, act out an acid trip, sing everything from fun songs like "I Got Life" to atonal numbers like "Hashish," and be a heck of a dancer. And go through a total character transformation.
agree on the emcee from cabaret. That role is almost all subtext. You could take that and sing it beautifully and yet not do a single thing with it. Alan Cumming blew my head open when I saw that on Broadway. I've seen the movie a bazillion times and I love what Joel Grey did with it but Cumming takes it into a totally different world. He mesmerized me, broke me heart, disgusted me, made me love him, made me hate him, and made me cry over him and everyone else. It was unreal - I can't even explain it.
@@eurydicecoded: Wait, I always get Berger and Claude from Hair mixed up. Which is the one who sings "I Got Life" and dies in the end? What songs does Berger do?
Sorry, but no way is Evan Hansen a harder performance than Jean Valjean! Jean Valjean's vocal control and emotion are second to none. He also sings in so many of Les Mis' songs aside from his big solo numbers. In terms of vocal ability and the ability to emote to portray Valjean's brokenness, nothing touches it. Also because it is such a legacy character, the pressure of playing him is even higher.
Valjean is played by grown men with grown voices. Evan is a teenager, who is beginning to be played by teenagers...... who haven't had time to develop and learn their voices. The role is going to destroy so many young men up there.
@@JosephJohnson-gu5fw I mean Ben Platt was in his 20's when he played Evan Hansen, so it's not like the high level productions are using people with still developing vocal chords. I'm not saying it isn't difficult to play Evan, just not so much as Valjean.
I'm not necessarily disagreeing with the level of difficulty. But if you put professional actors into a professional role.....they know how to handle it usually. But if you start casting 19 year olds in a role with very limited vocal experience, they are going to get destroyed by the role. It happened to so many Elphaba who really messed up their voices. Evan is a different kind of challenge in that the actors they've begun casting don't have the years of professional experience to be able to handle such a difficult role. That in turn makes it even harder
Not flawlessly, at least when it comes to Les Mis. He had to have some notes rescored and is not in the same class as Alfie Boe or Colm Wilkinson. Good screen actor, reasonable singer.
Burr's part is more difficult and emotionally taxing than Lafayette/Jefferson. -.- His raps are SERIOUSLY not that hard for anyone who actually is familiar with, and _can,_ rap.
I had never really thought about Lafayette/Jefferson being up there with the hardest of all but this vid made me actually think more about the role. Yes, Burr does a lot of emotional heavy-lifting and sings a LOT of the show and needs a very strong and beautiful voice. But for Lafayette/Jefferson, maybe consider these things: two separate characters, needs to do a convincing French accent through very fast singing and speaking, very high energy in both parts, may not be the most difficult raps or most difficult singing but do have to be able to do both well, which are two separate difficult skills, and should be a decent mover/dancer as well. I would at least say they are kinda equal, Burr having more stage time and having to carry more of the story and emotion, and Lafayette/Jefferson having more technical demands as a performer.
@@mbrusk08 I guess I've never considered a stereotypical French accent to be that difficult. I'll admit he's rather high energy, especially as LaFayette (as is Hercules Mulligan). I think Burr is still a more demanding role, especially since he's the narrator and the primary antagonist. I mean, that "Wait!" in "The World Was Wide Enough," has to deliver an emotional gut punch, and he has to portray a slow ascent from being patient, plodding and neutral to trying to be a bit more like Hamilton, which ends up with him failing, thanks to Hamilton, thus leading to the challenge.
@@courtneyspencer7297 Then that's less about the role and more about the actor. If anyone else sounds weird to you. Burr was done well by Leslie, and I would argue that it's one of the more difficult parts in Hamilton, only because he's the one who has the change arc.
ok, jean valjean SHOULD have been number 1, just for the crazy vocal range alone. he is the heart of the show and needs to be played by someone who can not only carry a show but hold his own in a large cast. you guys missed a TON of challenging roles! the phantom, aaron burr, javert, judas and jesus from jesus christ superstar, the beast from batb, countless others that aren't coming to me at the moment.
No mention of Frank N. Furter from the Rocky Horror Show? Takes great vocals and a huge amount of charisma and charm (and looking good in drag). Hedwig wouldn’t exist without it.
I disagree with basically all of this list lol. Judas from Jesus Christ Superstar is literally the hardest male role in musical theatre cannon no questions asked.
I'd argue Jesus may be a bit harder to pull off. I've seen a few Judases that did a good job in hitting the emotional beats and being amazing singers. There's a bit more wiggle room for interpreting his character because he's supposed to be a flawed person who makes mistakes, and may have any sort of motives for his actions you desire to read into the role. I mean, you could just as easily play him as a man who's motivated by greed or jealousy who likes to lie to himself to justify his actions, or you can play him as a frightened man trying to do what he thinks is right. A great actor can easily make this role his own. Jesus on the other hand... Playing Jesus requires that you both show a great deal of patience and kindness, but also doubt, fear, and righteous indignation. Play it too strongly on the negative side and you leave people wondering why this petty dude is supposed to be so beloved and thought to be divine. Play it too positive, though, and you lose the emotional resonance of the moments where he IS supposed to show doubt, fear, and pain. I've seen ONE Jesus that managed to strike the right balance of "divine" and "human" while also being an amazing singer. Either way, I'd have been happy if EITHER of those roles were even on this list because they'd be number 1 and 2 on my list, possibly even a tie.
Hey if you live near Valdese, North Carolina, this is the final weekend for our production of JCS Judas does a great job and I play Jesus sooo.. show plug
For people questioning why Jean Valjean is on here, he has so many layers to him, as he has such changes in fortune, which is hard to portray without losing the essence of the character, plus the vocal aspects that they mentioned. Shocked that Phantom wasn’t here and I think J.D from Heathers deserved to at least make the Top 10.
And I'm sorry but Valjean is harder. Sure, Evan Hansen has to be perfected with all of the anxiety just as it would be in real life, but tell me this... is Evan dueling someone with a block of wood while singing a duet with them? No. Plus, Valjean has to play a very... (I don't know the word) flexible part while singing in a range that is huge. So, in my opinion Valjean should be #1.
Lizzy_E123 Lizzy_E123 yes, and Jean Valjean is a deeply emotionally damaged and complex character. Plus most Valjean’s songs are a lot more difficult. Songs like On Parole/The Bishop, Valjean’s Soliloquy, Who Am I? and Bring Him Home are all more complex than basically any song in DEH. I love DEH but, dear god, Evan’s role isn’t harder than Jean Valjean’s. And like the comment above said, Valjean sings a duet while duelling someone with a block of wood. As a singer, I can say that that shit is hard.
Grete Pihlak I’m a singer and actor as well, and evans vocals are very demanding for a young actor, Andrew Feldman started playing the role at age sixteen, he Isnt done developing. The Evan actors have to play an anxious, depressed, suicidal character.
@@elizabethepstein9906 portraying a character with mental illness is indeed demanding and has a great impact on the psyche of the actor, and no way should be belittled, but Jean Valjean is a deeper and more complex character. The actor has to portray a man who suffered starvation and poverty, who had to endure a punishment unmatched to the crime he had committed. A person who goes on to change his life, after he was granted kindness and mercy(by the priest). A person who tries to redeem himself by raising a poor orphan, like she was his own daughter. A person whose past has come to haunt him, cursed by fate to live his life on the run. A person who finally saves the life of his pursuer. He is a victim and a criminal, a sinner and a saint. A fatherly figure, but rough around the edges. A hero and a damned soul. There is a reason why this role requires a more mature actor, and this reason isn't limited to vocal ability.
Evan H. is certainly a huge, challenging role, but I don't see how it's harder than, for instance, Jerry M. in AMERICAN IN PARIS. True, the singing has to be more skilled, and is far more intense, but the part of Jerry literally demands a star ballet (and jazz, acrobatics, and other styles) dancer, with true charisma, acting, and excellent ballet partnering skill. This is stuff that literally takes years, from at least a fairly early age, of intense training, along with extreme natural talent. And much of the singing is done while dancing, making a particular challenge. And, while on the subject of ballet guys, how could you not even mention Billy Elliot, who pretty much carries the bulk of the show on his talented, young shoulders? Another one: Little Chap, in STOP THE WORLD, I WANT TO GET OFF. Also, possibly, Molina, in KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN. But it's true, all the roles in this video are hugely challenging. Those calling for the Phantom to be on the list are unrealistic; while not easy, it's not in the same league as these.
seeing jean valjean on here gives me a serious sense of pride. i was just in a production of les mis & it was so special, i loved everyone in my cast so much & cried so much when it was over. the guy who playen valjean is so incredibly talented & just such a sweet person & i can't wait to be in more shows with him, i'm very proud of him & he did incredible in the show. ❤️
Just because you are not particularly fond of a show does not make it "crap". It also doesn't change the fact that, vocally, the show requires immense talent. Gethsemane has to be one of the most daunting songs to sing because not only does it require passion, it requires an insane vocal range and a lot of control. @@emmaleigh2651
I'm sorry, the great comet is like my favorite, but Anatole is so much harder than Pierre. Pierre doesn't require too much of a range, nor much else than a good voice. Anatole has to dance, sing high as hell, and just overall be a perfect villain.
Eva Hesse Great Comet is like also my favorite musical, but I’m gonna have to slightly disagree with you. Don’t get me wrong, Anatole is hard as hell to get right, but Pierre only sounds easy because JOSH GROBAN is singing it. He has to cover literally three octaves and portray this lil old hermit and then fall in love with Natasha all in two hours. I think we can both agree that Great Comet needs to come back tho
Agreed. Comet is literally my favorite show in existence and I believe the best show ever made.... but Pierre should not have been here. I mean you don’t even have to have a great voice to play him. Look at Dave Malloy, played Pierre incredible but in no way is a great singer. If any character from Great Comet were to be on the list, it should have been Anatole or Natasha in the female list
In terms of just range, Pierre's is like crazy wide. Just listen to The Duel - he has to hit an Ab2 (How was the operaAaA) and belt a B4 (SO I SHALL BE KALLED) in the same song That's not to say Anatole's vocal part is easier, but Pierre's got some meat to him
THANK YOU for including "An American in Paris" on this list!!!!! I watched the female version of this video with glee, and commented on it, and I feel like my comment was acknowledged and that has made me so happy! Literally loads of my favourite composers (as well as musicals) are on this video, so I watched this one, too, just as happily. Keep the musical theatre themed ones coming!!! :) :)
Pretty great list, but I had to laugh at the narrator talking about Jekyll and Hyde requiring amazing acting chops while you played a clip of hasselhoff
I'm not super familiar with the Jekyll and Hyde production, but maybe it was more a lack of quality video material to use in the video itself to use for an example than the person performing the role?
Actually, I've seen worse or at least equally as bad as Hoff... At least the guy tried. Sebastian Bach is another one that is touch and go, and for very similar reasons. Both were rock singers, not Broadway actors. And both had a similarly bad performance. Somehow Bach stayed on for 6 months, though. Otherwise, yes I agree, it is silly to show Hoff when talking about great performances. I can provide a long list of other productions to have pulled clips from with non Hoff actors, and also live concert performances with the same actors of those songs.
lol. Well, he's a case in point, really about WHY you need the acting chops, because he definitely lacked them... Compare his "Confrontation" to others floating around, and yeah... no contest. The show's writing is a bit below par to begin with, but can be pulled off with a great actor. In fact, you MUST have a great actor for it to even be workable. Fail in that, and nothing will save that show.
And the fact that there are many actors who have played him who are deaf (as in the book Quasimodo is supposed to be deaf or hard of hearing because of ringing the bells every moring), and they are FANTASTIC. Obviously they aren’t doing the singing (when I saw the show in Seattle, one of the actors playing a gargoyle did the singing) but the absolute talent in their acting if phenomenal, I was crying for most of it because I was just in awe.
In my personal opinion, Jean Valjean is a lot harder than Evan Hansen. He has to use stronger vocals, sing in a lot of songs, and be a great actor to portray his emotions to the audience. Yes, Evan has to be younger and his voice (actor) may not be as fully developed as the males who portray Jean Valjean, but they don't need to be fully matured. Their role as Evan Hansen isn't tough enough that their vocal cords need to be as mature as the males who play Valjean. The males that play Valjean had to act harder and work harder so their voice would be so good, it captured the audience's attention and made them pay attention to him. I also think JD SHOULD have been in the top 10, not honorable mentions. The male actors for JD had to act sadistic, crazy, and head over heels, all while singing songs and moving around constantly. They had to portray sadness, anger, insanity, love, and pain. They had to show all these emotions in all the songs (by all I mean all songs they sing, all songs JD is seen or performs in).
I usually leave it up for personal preference when it comes to these "Top 10" lists, and I am happy about quite some mentions in this, but no Phantom in both male and female list is surprising! Also, personal thought but playing Jekyll/Hyde is incredibly challenging for the complexity of both characters and the switching in between a song, not only the voice needs to change but the entire persona you are, it's crazy difficult to go back and forth and literally sing against yourself with so much power and rage and desperation, and overall upkeep the strenght and flexibility in those characters - I see it that Evan is a very hard role to act out, and I love the musical so much, but (personally) acting-wise roles like Jekyll/Hyde or Valjean take the cake for both challenging voice ranges and the heartfelt, overwhelming acting.
Really? I might be the only person that hates DEH, but here goes....why that and not, say, the Phantom? Jack from Newsies? Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof? There were way, way more challenging roles to put there. Popular doesn't always mean good.
The role of Evan Hansen is far harder than any of the ones you listed. Not only is he belting throughout the whole damn show, but he is in every song but one, and the emotion needed to execute this role is insane. Like in the song, Words Fail, he is literally sobbing, snot and all, throughout the whole song. Multiple that by 8 shows a week and you get one of the hardest roles on Broadway .
Ayouba Swaray i disagree. Plenty of Broadway shows require you to use emotion and belt. Those are basics. i can see that it might be impaxctful emotin to some ( though I personally find it exploitative and gross), but it's not harder than Tevye - an older man strugglong with the turmoils of having a familg in a difficult time period, or the Phantom....whic h is the freaking Phantom. You're free to think so, but in my opinion emotion and belting are two basics of any show any performer can bring to the table. It in no way outclasses any of the roles I mentioned with that.
@@SupremeLeaderKokichiOma Tryna to dilute the role to something as rudimentary as belting and emotion is lazy. Arguably, when you are a teenager is the time where your emotions are the most out of control due to hormones and the process of figuring yourself out. Add that with an introverted boy who has serve social anxiety amonst other sociak issues who just got himself mixed up with the suicide of a suggestive physcopath and you see why this is such a difficult role to take on. Evan literally carries the entire show on his back. Not to mention he has an entire mental breakdown in a 7 min song where it's just him and the stage, crying his heart out trying to make sense of all the egregious things he's done. The reason why this role is so difficult is because Evan is still a teenager so the rollercoster of emotions he has to execute has to be accurate to the tee or not only will teenagers and young adult won't be convinced, but parents who knows how it feel to deal with teens not understand either. Last note, his songs are very hard to sing since he is constantly belting not to metioned because of his social anxiety he has to do ticks and slight but noticeable physical movements to display that.
@@ayoubaswaray1856 O...kay. Still getting 'he's a teenager, he's got social anxiety, he's emotional, he's the main character of the show'...which is great! I can understand why people appreciate it...still doesn't make him outclass Tevye or the Phantom. Listen to 'Do You Love Me?', 'Sunrise, Sunset', 'Why So Silent'...just being an emotional teenager isn't enough to make him outclass anyone, however relatable it is. I appreciate that this show may have touched you and some other people emotionally...but it's not revolutionary. There are several musicals out there about teens with social anxiety and suffering issues, Be More Chill being another, they all put emphasis into their performances, but they can't outclass the classics. As for songs where characters break down and it's just them and the stage...'Santa Fe' is another. So I can't ever agree with that. I don't think we'll get each others point of view changed anytime soon X3
what about Jack Kelly from Newsies?? the last note in Santa Fe is certainly NOT easy and the song in general requires incredible breath control. and what about Billy from Billy Elliot?? that role is played by a fucking child who has to dance, sing and act the titular role on stage at a young age and that’s definitely NOT easy.
Billy absolutely Jack Kelly sustains an A4, a common note for most music theatre males in the baritenor to high tenor range. The dance is spectacular, but the show musically is no more or less challenging than most contemporary musicals.
@@mkale1749 while i agree that an A4 is a common note for musical theater, it is NOT at ALL easy to hit for a guy. trust me. thats the whole reason why most shows of Newsies have Santa Fe transposed down a half step.
Ultimate death exactly. Jumping on and off tables, drumming while singing and dancing this killer choreography ánd doing all of this on killer heels.... (s)he had to be funny, but also be able to hit you right in the feels with that storyline. (S)he should deserve a spot on the list simply for making people accept she killed a dog and even laugh about it 🤣
Roles that deserve to be on this list wayyy before DEH: the Emcee from Cabaret, the phantom, Billy Flynn from Chicago, tevye from Fiddler on the Roof. Like??!
Here's a few other hardest male musical roles that weren't mentioned: .The Prince (Beauty and the Beast) .Squidward Tentacles (SpongeBob SquarePants) .Billy Elliot (Billy Elliot) .Judas (Jesus Christ Superstar) .Edna Turnbland a cross dressing role (Hairspray) .
Tbh all Les Mis characters are pretty intense. Ramin Karimloo is a brilliant idiot for playing almost every male role Also in Les Mis they have actual fight scenes so thats also something to consider. And I miss The Phantom here haha. He is a pretty demanding role aswel
Seriously. Any time there's a "hardest roles" list, I expect to see Billy. That kid is pretty much on stage dancing his face off for the whole show! And it's such an emotional role, but still has to be natural and subtle and often funny. And to top it off, you have to be a child to play it. That role is a beast. I'm surprised it isn't mentioned more often.
Both Valjean and Javert in Les Miserables (vocal and acting); The Phantom (vocal and acting); Freddie in Chess (vocal); Judas and Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar (acting and vocal range); Peter Allen in the Boy from Oz (singing, dancing and acting).
Okay Mojo. I applaud you for realizing that The Great Comet of 1812 exists, but Dear Even Hansen? Really? I get it that you're trying to pander to a younger audience but honestly.
Took the words right out of my mouth. I honestly don't get why people are so gaga, not only over DEH, but of any of the songs by Pasek and Paul (including La La Land and The Greatest Showman).
I don't know about number one, but if you've seen the show? It's VERY emotionally taxing. The singing isn't really that hard, but I think I'd push it in to my personal top ten because of the acting ability.
I want to play J.D. in my ninth grade musical project next year. But the problem is it’s extremely embarassing to do a sex scene in front of a live audience.
@@LemonlyLive Yeah, for some reason that mostly made it into the school edition, but they decided part of "Lifeboat" was too inappropriate. I've never understood the reasoning behind what makes school edition musicals more appropriate than the real thing (looking at you, les mis.)
lol. Yeah... Why is it that all the fun roles I like singing along with/find it easier to sing along with are all men? No love for us gals down in the lower register? Nope. It's always Sopranos and mezzos belting it out in the middle range or whizzing around in the stratosphere. So I'm usually stuck singing with the tenor lead, or the villain. Or both. :P
I mean Jean Valjean pretty much appears in majority of the scene. Not only you need a wide voice range, you also need to know how to sing the song emotionally and powerful. Displaying the character’s realisations (especially in the Soliloquy and Who Am I) is pretty tough as well. If you think about it, you are pretty much about to act a lifetime.
Billy Bigelow from Carousel, Jesus/Judas from JCS, George from Sunday in the Park with George, Don Quijote from Man of La Mancha, Otto Kringelein from Grand Hotel, Freddie Trumper from Chess, Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof -- where were these??? I don't think those Hamilton roles and Evan Hansen are any more demanding as these others. Also, this list doesn't really go very far back in the musical theater canon, but then again Ms.Mojo always sticks to contemporary things to keep people clicking on their videos.
I am soooo glad you mentioned Freddie Trumper from Chess. "Pity the Child" is a vocal and acting tour-de-force. And what about Angel from Rent?! Angel does backflips in "Today 4 U" and is the life-force of the show.
I got to meet Hugh Jackman after one of his performances in the Boy From Oz. He was signing autographs out back behind the theater and the poor guy was just exhausted. I honestly felt bad, and didn't want to bother him further, but he was so nice and gracious and insisted on signing it for me. Such a sweet guy, and I'll always remember that amazing performance.
Should be here IMHO: Leo Frank - Parade Anatoly and/or Freddy - Chess Fabrizio - Light in the Piazza Albin - La Cage Au Faux Freddy Benson - Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Chris - Miss Saigon
Belty high notes are not considered hard anymore for a leading man. Plus he has an ensemble full of dancing boys to distract at any moment. (Note both Jeremy and Corey are my favorite male singers)
Personally I don’t think Jack should be on the list. Yes, I agree, his role is difficult, but there are so many that are even harder to pull off. I love newsies, don’t get me wrong, but it’s just not as hard as other shows. Jack Kelly’s range would be considered easy for many experienced, professional singers, and there’s only one or two scenes where Jack is portraying a heavy, strong emotion (which most professional actors can pull off). I’m not discrediting him from being a difficult role, but it’s nowhere near the most difficult.
I love Jack but there are a lot of other harder ones. Plus personally, I think the hardest role Jeremy Jordan had to play was Clyde Barrow but that's just me.
@@anastasiabyheart That show is super underrated. In Raise A Little Hell, there's a note at the end that goes higher for about 13 seconds. Plus constant growling and he has to act pissed while still lovestruck with Bonnie.
There's a Bonnie and Clyde musical?! How have I never heard of it? I'm literally related to Clyde (great great uncle on my mothers side) I'm now gonna go look this up!
Lafayette was not deserving of a spot, sorry. How about Bobby from Company, Judas/Jesus from JCSS, the Phantom, George Seurat, the lead in Nine (im blanking on his name, but for gods sake, the only male role in the show). It could have been any of these
Though I do agree that those roles do deserve to be up there, Lafayette/Jefferson does deserve at least a spot. You have to go through two different accents, music styles and you have to be able to rap extremely quickly, jump off of high places while dancing and singing. It is very straining on the actor having to switch so quickly into almost polar opposites
@@eurydicecoded honorable mention is better. Besides difficult wrapping portions, there is not much that sets the role apart in a requirements/demands sense compared to most comic relief. Sometimes is seems as if they put Hamilton things up there to appease some of the fans who act like its really the only one that maters or caries any wait in the theatre.
OMG THEY INCLUDED DONNY NOVITSKI AS AN HONORABLE MENTION!!!! also I think I feel like, Billy Bigelow from Carousel, Marvin from Falsettos, Jason McConnell from Bare: the pop opera, and Clyde from Bonnie and Clyde could have easily been at least honorable mentions
I agree. Anyone who has seen the show, or maybe seen the bootleg on UA-cam, or maybe even listened to the soundtrack can agree that the role of Clyde requires a wide vocal range, incredible breath control (Raise A Little Hell), and I dunno, he shows a lot of emotion and character. He's childish, playful and sweet (Only to Bonnie and his family), but also full of vengeance and anger.
To be honest, althought I totally admire Evan Hansen and think it’s indeed one of the most difficult characters to play, it really surprised me the fact it’s being compared with other characters such as Jean Valjean, being “Dear Evan Hansen” a very, very modern musical.
I love Memphis so much, so it was just awesome to see a reference to it at all. And the actor they showed playing Huey is def the best I've ever seen perform that role. Sometimes it just doesn't work with some others I've seen in the role.
Evan Hansen does not deserve to be number one. The musical doesn't even do anxiety justice and he performs selfishly. Closing your eyes through most of the song cuts off the audience. Sweeney is much more complex and difficult. Jean is more complex. What about burrs from Wild Party? The man has full on break downs in songs while belting in a top tenor range. Moritz from spring awakening deserves an honorable mention because the acting that going into a believable killing yourself onstage is difficult. Looking at the clips you picked I think you're only impressed by a high belt which is sad. Non theatre people need to broaden their horizons. Also a lot of trained theatre people don't like Dear Evan Hansen. It's a pretty selfish show.
I saw Michael Lee Brown as Evan Hansen. Personally, I thought he performed the role better acting-wise. It's quite an emotionally difficult role if you see the show in full- I wouldn't say number one, but It's in my personal top ten list. As for the musical and anxiety, as someone who has social anxiety, I thought it was a good portrayal of my experiences with anxiety- but it's different for everyone.
Luna Anne I think the role in itself has a tendency to go very selfish and very self pitying. I think that the show often shows symptoms but doesn't really tackle the disorder. It feeds into a stereotype of symptoms. I think that the only reason people think it's a difficult role is because of the belting. I think that the musical is okay. I also have anxiety and I wasn't a fan. I think that there are plenty of more challenging roles that deal with similar subject matter. They may not be musicals but often the hard hitting subjects are tackled by plays.
@@Laurensfuzzywuzzy True. I don't think it's that difficult vocally, especially not for Broadway (Don't get me wrong though, Ben Platt is insanely talented) and I can think of more difficult roles to act. I would've put Moritz on as well and probably Marvin from Falsettos, The Phantom from Phantom of the Opera, and probably Burr instead of Lafayette/Jefferson.
Fairs on all but I'm really surprised that Billy Elliot is never mentioned in these lists - surely that is by far the toughest role out there (or maybe on par with Valjean and Evan), not only because there is a great deal of acting involved, portraying a real life event that audience members will have been affected by, dancing your butt off, and being on stage for pretty much for the entire show, but also because it's all done by a 10-13 year old kid!
I absolutely agree. So many major roles not even mentioned. Off the top of my head, I can think of Tevye, Cervantes/Don Quixote, Billy Bigelow, Harold Hill, Georges/George, Max Bialystock, Barnum, Albin/ZaZa, Pseudolus, and I could keep going...
Rocky, from Rock Horror picture show. Because not only do you need to sing, you need to look like an idealized body builder type. Finding people who are into theatre, can sing and act, and look like that is such a challenge. So while the singing role isn't the most complex (its one of the easier ones). It would be the hardest one for most male performers to try to do.
I love Rocky Horror and agree. And certainly Frank N. Furter should be on the list, too. Takes a hell of a lot of charisma, good voice, and looking good in drag.
I would have given Jekyll/Hyde a higher rank: one of the songs (called "The way back" or "No one must ever know") is so tough a singer lost consciousness once after exerting so much energy singing it (it's long and high and and rapid so hyperventilating maybe?)
the show was first performed in 2016, earlier than dear evan hansen, which they included here. to be fair it still hasn't had its broadway run yet (it's going to in april) but heathers is a pretty recent off-broadway show from 2014 that they also included. but you're right, not a lot of people know it yet, but i do hope that changes, because it's an amazing and beautiful musical
Happy 2019, Mojoholics!🙌🎊 Jean Valjean is quite the demanding role in that he's in the most scenes, and has to sing really emotional, powerful songs! Sweeney Todd and Evan Hansen are also amazing roles, as is J.D. from "Heathers", in that he has to be convincing as a troubled psychopath!
+AnnabethNeeds 2MeetHermione That's neat, I know another Catriona whose real name was Catherine, but they all called her Catriona to differentiate from her aunt Catherine, who lived with them. Eventually, the name stuck.
You must think singing actors and musical were invented around 2001. Did you know that musicals existed prior to 1998? That there was no such thing as "auto-tune" or microphones that could hide inside your costume, and performers had to actually sing over a live orchestra, enunciate with their voices alone without electronic assistants? Where are: Prof Harold Hill, The Music Man - "Ya Got Trouble" Dr. Frank N Furter, Rocky Horror - "Sweet Transvestite" Emile deBecque, South Pacific - "This Nearly Was Mine" Old Joe, Showboat, "Old Man River" Don Quixote, Man of La Mancha, "The Impossible Dream" Jesus, Jesus Christ Superstar - "The Garden of Gethsemane" Billy, Carousel - "You'll Never Walk Alone" Tony, West Side Story - "Maria" Curly Joe, Oklahoma - "O What A Beautiful Morning" Lancelot, Camelot - "C'est Moi!" Not only because these are already difficult to pull off, nor because these require flawless musicianship and diction, and also not because these songs are so well-established in the public's mind, but because each of these songs establishes the character and tell us who he is. No room for error, and some very high steps to follow from the past. If you dont' have a performer who can do these memorably and flawlessly, you don't have a show, no matter who else is in your cast or what else they can do.
Uh.. les mis came out in the 80s, and sweeney told, and Jekyll and hide came out before then, and I'm pretty sure a gentleman's guide to love and murder did too Though I agree, harold hill should have been on the list
@@Nebulas17 Yes, my point wasn't so much about specific years when a show premiered but that there are so many other "killer" roles that are iconic and just as daunting and difficult to pull it off, if not more so than many of the roles listed by Watchmojo.
So glad Sweeney Todd, Jekyll/Hyde, and Evan Hansen got included! Some other characters I feel should have been included are Dr. Frank n Further from Rocky Horror Picture Show, Phantom from Phantom Of The Opera, and anyone from a Disney musical (I've done the highschool version of both The Lion King and Aladdin, and let me say, there will always be great expectations put on the lead's shoulders because of how timeless the movies are)
... Yeah... I can sing Frank'N'Furter pretty easily... and I'm a chick. Also Phantom, and pretty much any male lead in any Disney film. So while enjoyable, these roles aren't nearly as demanding as say Judas or Jesus from Jesus Christ Superstar, or Jekyll/Hyde from Jekyll and Hyde.
Great list! If you make another top 10, a few roles to consider, in my opinion, are Genie, the Engineer, Quasimodo, Lola (From Kinky Boots) and Lord Farquad. Keep up the great work!
Be sure to check out our list of the Top 10 Hardest FEMALE Musical Roles here: bit.ly/2CBP1Yg
How is this comment from 4 days ago when the vid was posted today
I’m so confused. This was uploaded today but this comment was made 4 days ago
hey, where was the phantom in this video?! And in the female roles video, why wasnt Christine at the very least an honorable mention
Mom! UA-cam’s high again
@@annaconboy7983 I waslooking for The Phantom in this video a shame they left him out.
I think that msmojo hasn’t seen phantom of the opera. Christine wasn’t on the female list and the phantom isn’t on this one!
True. Very true.
MsMojo has no clue about musical theatre.
Tf!?!?
I think for the roles she is also taking into account the emotional and mental aspects of the portrayal as well. The Phantom and Christine are incredibly vocally challenging roles, but they are not as developed as other characters. True, the Phantom is a very deep character, but other roles such as Evan Hansen require more emotional development.
Vocally, I don’t think The Phantom is a very challenging part unless you’re not traditionally a tenor.
While Evan Hansen is absolutely a challenging role, especially for actors in their late teens/early 20's and considering how emotionally taxing it is, it belongs in this list but not at #1
It's not even half as taxing as the role of Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde. Seriously, you could ask any actor, young and old, that has taken on the role of Jekyll/Hyde, and they will tell you just how insanely strenuous it is on the vocal chords, body, and mind.
Speaking from the point of view of someone who has depression, anxiety and had suicidal thoughts for someone to portray that numerous times a week it is without doubt the most emotionally and mentally taxing thing possible. Not to mention that this is a high tenor role and therefore vocally strenuous. I recently saw it on the west end and was absolutely blown away by Sam tutty’s portrayal of anxiety and depression.
Speaking as someone who has zero expertise in this field, from the outside it seems to be an insanely difficult role vocally not to mention emotionally, plus the amount of stage time this character has seems quite high compared to other roles...when Ben Platt left the role after his run they replaced him with 2 actors to cover all the shows he was doing, I feel like that serves as a seemingly good indication of how taxing it must be!! He is so amazing, I loved that musical..... although I love most of these lol
Pretty sure MsMojo has a crush on Evan Hansen. He's in almost every list and it's a little ridiculous.
@@jeromeah69 thank you
The Phantom of the Opera is going to drop a chandelier on all you.
Haha that's brilliant!
Haha yesssss
Best comment here
they need to do top 10 seductive songs from Broadway, and if Music of the Night and/or Phantom of the Opera isnt in it we should riot lol
I saw Phantom of the Opera live and I actually scream during the Chandler drop because it only stop about ten feet from the audiences head I as in row 20 and it drop above row 1-10 ish lol so I was close to it ,also the gunfire also made me yelp as well
Are we going to forget Dr. Frank N Furter from The Rocky Horror Picture Show?
YEAH WTF
HOW THE HECKING HECK DID THEY FORGET FRANK?
And the phantom from phantom of the opera as well!!!
@@juliajanowski1284And also Elder Price from Book of Mormon. He needs a tenor voice and INSANE BELTING
• Phantom~ Phantom of the opera
• Javert ~ Les Mis
• Judas~ JCS
• Jesus ~ JCS
• Jack Kelly~ Newsies
• JD~ Heathers
• Nick Bottom~ Something Rotten
• Shakespeare ~ Something Rotten
• Rum Tum Tugger~ Cats
• Aaron Burr~ Hamilton
.... Just a few that were better than some of the mentions on here.... anyone else got some for me to add??
That’s a lot of J’s 😂
Totes agree
Rum tum tugger is almost impossible for most males
Leading player (Pippin)
Sponge bob (sponge bob the musical)
Billy (Chicago)
Patrick (sponge bob musical)
Gomez (Addams Family musical)
Squidward (sponge bob musical)
Mr. Krabs (sponge bob musical)
Plankton (sponge bob musical)
Edit: half of these roles require good dancing skills, not using your actual speaking voice when talking, and also a powerful vocal range as well.
Beetlejuice... having to sing like that 8 shows a week!
JD was literally in the honorable mentions
Y'all swerved the Phantom, Judas, Elder Price, and Quasimodo just like that huh
Thank you my guy @RoseSpacesingOut
im shocked Phantom wasn't on this or Judas from JCSS
Ryan Jewell I was about to say that!!
Phantom is shouldn't be that hard vocally for most baritones. Many men seem to stay in the role for a long time and keep coming back to it. Can't be that hard
Joseph Johnson It’s an operatic tone, what do you mean? He has some hard hard notes.
Joseph Johnson most phantoms are actually tenors though. Add the 8 shows a week and the acting, it’s certainly not an easy role and frankly more difficult than some roles on here.
I think ms. Mojo has completely forgotten that phantom of the opera exists because Christine wasn’t on the female list
Layfette has one hard song, both Burr and Hamilton are much harder roles. Che from Evita, Phantom from The Phantom of the Opera and Billy from Billy Elliot should all be on this list. Also swap Jean Valjean and Evan.
idk about Hamilton.....burr is def harder but Hamilton seems like one of the easiest main roles Ive seen in a major Broadway play. As long as you remember the rap lyrics youre good, theres no tricky choreography or hard notes to hit.
@@bamafan73191 Yeah I wouldn't put Hamilton on the list, I was just saying he was much harder than Layfette.
Fair, Jefferson has harder parts than Lafayette for real, he sings more.
Guns and Ships has the fastest rap on Broadway.
@@LadyJuse yeah there isn't that many to compare it to, Broadway isn't renowned for its rap. Daveed himself said it isn't the hardest rap to perform. You really just need to master the words and your fine. There isn't very much emotional complexity behind like Hamilton's rap in My Shot.
ill say it once, and ill say it again: HEDWIG NEED TO BE HIGHER ON THE LIST
As much as I'd love to complain about Jean Valjean not being first, I'm happy to see The Great Comet of 1812 FINALLY being acknowledged on this channel
I'm surprised that Judas or Jesus from Jesus Christ Superstar wasn't on here. They basically sing throughout the entire play. Not much dialogue in the play.
Same with Hamilton but I guess rapping for 3 hours versus singing for 3 hours, the ladder might be more difficult.
👏👏👏 amen the sheer vocal talent of Jesus alone is staggering. I mean from the lowest note which is like low tenor all the was up to those notes that even as a soprano I have trouble hitting. AND Ted Neely can STILL hit those and he’s in his like 70s. This video is stupid.
100% should be here.
Correction: there is ZERO regular dialogue in that rock opera.
Okay so in the hardest female roles you guys didn't even mention Christine and in this video you guys didn't even mention Phantom like do you think those roles are easy or something
Ikr
kinda mad honestly
UGH I know, right????!
Mojo world doesn't seem to love Lloyd-Webber
Preach
damn how are you gonna skip jesus christ superstar like that
It's a sin to leave "Jesus" off the list! The role is so difficult that the touring production decided to keep Ted Neeley in the role until he was almost 70.
damn how the gonna skip Angel in Rent like that
Gethsemane is one of the hardest songs to sing male or female wise. If it’s done right. Cough cough John Legend.
Judas should be #1
PREACH
#10- 0:51- Peter Allen- "The Boy from Oz"
#9- 2:04- Pierre Bezukhov- "Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812"
#8- 3:19- Sweeney Todd- "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"
#7- 4:23- Jerry Mulligan- "An American Paris"
#6- 5:30- Hedwig- "Hedwig and the Angry Inch"
#5- 6:37- Lafayette/ Thomas Jefferson- "Hamilton"
#4- 7:54- Dr. Henry Jekyll/ Edward Hyde- " Jekyll and Hyde"
#3- 9:06- The D'Ysquith Family- "A Gentlemen's Guide to Love and Murder"
#2- 10:17- Jean Valjean- "Les Mis"
Honorable mentions-
JD- "Heathers: The musical"
Huey Calhoun- "Memphis"
Danny Novitski- "Bandstand"
#1- 12:21- Evan Hansen- "Dear Evan Hansen"
Careful, we have a legend here
Hedwig should have been so much higher, definitely in the top three. It’s such an incredibly complex role to play with so many deep levels, not to mention the costume changes! The actors don’t get nearly enough credit for pulling off such a wonderfully complex role.
And really? Evan? Yes it’s hard to portray his mental health well but it isn’t that difficult or complex and the vocals are just a bunch of riffs. Yes Ben Platt is amazing but it doesn’t deserve to be at the top of the list. Don’t put it at the top just because it’s a popular and mainstream musical right now. Same point with Hamilton.
It’s time to start basing these rankings on genuine reason and not just clickbaiting with what’s popular to please the masses.
To portray mental health in the way some of the actors do which is believable yet not offensively stereotypical is extremely difficult. I saw Sam tutti play Evan on the west end and a lot of the small gestures (pulling clothing closer, not looking people in the eye, hugging urself) are things that I do myself regularly (I have depression, anxiety and been suicidal in the past) and to see it portrayed on stage by people that are so young is phenomenal. Yes a number of the characters may be difficult but the actors are significantly older most Evans are in late teens or early 20s
Hamilton should be in the top 10, but not higher than that.
I'm not one for saying "you should have picked this or that", and I understand your reasoning for all parts mentioned, and you can't do them all, but I was expecting the phantom to be someone up there
not Broadway, but Quasimodo from Notre Dame de Paris - I mean , you're singing and dancing, crouched with a humpback !
OMG yes! Garou's gravelly voice in that part just makes me shiver... and he plays him so vulnerable and lovelorn.
@@ChaoticButterfly YES !
I totally agree! I’m not sure why it wasn’t on the list but JD from Heathers was since they both aren’t broadway shows
JD from heathers isnt broadway either so I think quasi should’ve been on the list.
Thien Thuan Tran not just Notre Dame De Paris, the Stage adaptation of the Disney musical is insanely difficult!
While evan Hansen might be a challenging role it in no way deserves a #1 spot. Classic mrs.mojo going for the popularity contest.
Well, a lot of roles are really complex in there own ways, evan is super difficult in more ways then just singing. The actor has to belt is heart out in like 5 different songs and needs to make himself SOB in words fail. So you might think its cause deh is new and popular, but it's a super challenging role
I don't mean to shove a bunch of facts down your throat to make you side with me or anything, however I believe that Evan Hansen does earn the spot when you look deeper into the character. First, because the actor would have to have a range from G2-B4 which would be a combination of tenor and baritone ranges, as most often tenors can only hit as low as a C3. Not to mention that singing while sobbing is about one of the hardest thing an actor or actress can do, as most people lose their clarity or their voice begins to warp, ruining the effect. Also, while very talented actors can pull off the highs and lows that Evan's character required, staying in that believable character is far more difficult than one would expect. Evan suffers from crippling anxiety which calls for constant fidgeting, facial tics, nail biting, slouched posture, etc. Ben Platt even goes so far as to have Evan almost curling in on himself to refrain from taking up too much space which, for someone with social anxiety, Ben's portrayal is spot on. The crippling anxiety that Evan's character possesses requires a deep and complete understanding of the illness, that without it, can cause the show to look fake or distant. I think that what puts Evan Hansen at #1 is the need to almost take on the crippling anxiety and all the guilt, shame and loneliness Evan has in order to make it believable and effective, and not to mention relateable to the audience, undoubtedly the majority of whom are fighting crippling anxiety, or who have a family member who is. Again I hope I don't seem like I'm shoving things down your throat, you're entitled to your own opinion, however, with how much I love Dear Evan Hansen, I couldn't not fight for the show.
kiera if they were going for a popularity contest Hamilton would be number one
melaa_xo For 5 minutes throw out an entire song where you have to sing quite high and show that the character is feeling remorse, anxiety and guilt? Yes, lots of characters have to cry in stage, but Ben Platt would cry so hard that his makeup would come off, while singing absolutely perfectly. You really have to get across emotions to show that the character isn’t sad that he was found out, but that he feels genuine guilt for what he did and how he hurt people
When you take the perspective of the actor they will agree that no role is easier than another. It may be easier for an actor to channel certain emotions, but no role is easy. Actors have to spend a lot of time learning who their character is and how they respond and react to the world around them. Some roles may seem easy, but it's an actor's job to make it look easy. On top of that it also depends on natural or developed skills an actor has when they are given a character. The new emotions, thoughts, and actions can increase the difficulty an actor has portraying the character. So in the end this list shouldn't have truly existed in the first place other than to spotlight that music theater and performing arts itself has its challenges.
Thanks for listening to my Ted Talk.
I'm glad Jekyll and Hyde made it on here, being two of the lead characters simultaneously, in a show that's 80% power ballads isn't easy. also Ms Mojo's French pronunciation makes me want to punch someone.
Literally Angel from RENT needs to be here since its technically a Male role
Angel is such a hard role!
No mention of Billy Bigelow from Carousel? The actor literally has an *eight minute soliloquy* at the end of the first act! It requires a tremendous amount of vocal control and acting chops!
I don't think MsMojo is concerned with anything before 1960, as far as musicals go. I'm with you, Billy is a tough role. But they don't want to remember the great stuff that came out in our grandparents and great grandparents day, and there was a lot.
Vanessa Whitehead Carousel was recently revived (but closed shortly after)
Wasn't Billy a wife beater in the show? That's why MsMojo didn't include him.
@@robertofenloch9595 yes he was, and a drunk as well. But Sweeney Todd killed people, Jean Valjean was a thief, so the characters moral compass shouldn't be an issue.
@@annar.t.8798 it's one of my favorite R&H musicals. Wish I could have seen the revival.
What no *Phantom of the Opera* yet again? _This is an outrage_
lets riot
Outrage!
This whole affair is an outrage!
The Phantom is not a hard role, or very interesting for a male performer, plus when you add up His appearances on stage it’s under 30mins of stage time, even when he is hidden causing cray cray, it’s pre recorded voice work.
Unleash the Chandelier!!
koldkutgirl *Phantom fans lighting fires, bringing down chandeliers and strangling people in the distance*
Where is Phantom? Ms Mojo, are you considering that to be an easy role? Same with Christine.
Christine is playback now. All her high notes are lipsync. Plus a 6 show max week.
Joseph Johnson first, it’s lip-synced because it is such a high note that even skilled actresses can have trouble hitting and is damaging. so in order to make the show as perfect as can be, it it lip synced. and it is the actress’ voice. next, they have stun doubles walking across the stage that need to lip sync so it looks real each time. and lastly, they have an alternate doing 2/8 shows due to it being vocally demanding (soprano AND opera) and physically demanding (ballet and being thrown around on stage).
It is hardest MALE musical roles so she might be in the female version of this list
@@justalula7151 Shes not. They've already made it lol.
@@JosephJohnson-gu5fw I was recently in my high school's production of Phantom of the Opera. Yes, it was a high school, but don't discredit us because of that. Respectfully letting you know that everyone in the cast sang those high notes every night no matter what. It's bold of you to assume that those notes are lipsynced, because I have seen the amount of training it takes to be able to hit that for 7 shows a week.
Why is Wolverine wearing golden pants and swing his hips he looks like Heather Mcnamara
AND WHY IS BELLATRIX LESTRANGE GETTING A MURDER HAIRCUT
THIS ISNT RIGHT
Ok this is getting silly
Ur really gonna snub homeboy Quasimodo like this huh
I love the hunchback of notre dame the actor hits insane high notes
I am flabbergasted roles like Jelly Roll Morton (from Jelly’s Last Jam), The Phantom (from The Phantom of the Opera), Judas (from Jesus Christ Superstar), Bobby (from Company), Harold Hill (from The Music Man), Pseudolus (from a Funny Thing Happened on the Way To the Forum), Don Quixote / Cervantes (from the Man of La Mancha), Emcee (from Cabaret), The Lead Player (from Pippin) and Curtis Taylor (from Dreamgirls) weren’t here or even placed in the honorable mentions’ list. Any these roles were much more difficult than a good percentage of the roles selected for this list.
OMG how could I forget the Emcee? That role requires serious guts!
EXACTLY! Also Berger from Hair. That takes guts
All your choices should have been on here...except I'm for Jesus rather than Judas, obviously. And what about Claude from Hair? I mean, the dude has to get naked on stage, act out an acid trip, sing everything from fun songs like "I Got Life" to atonal numbers like "Hashish," and be a heck of a dancer. And go through a total character transformation.
agree on the emcee from cabaret. That role is almost all subtext. You could take that and sing it beautifully and yet not do a single thing with it. Alan Cumming blew my head open when I saw that on Broadway. I've seen the movie a bazillion times and I love what Joel Grey did with it but Cumming takes it into a totally different world. He mesmerized me, broke me heart, disgusted me, made me love him, made me hate him, and made me cry over him and everyone else. It was unreal - I can't even explain it.
@@eurydicecoded: Wait, I always get Berger and Claude from Hair mixed up. Which is the one who sings "I Got Life" and dies in the end? What songs does Berger do?
Spongebob should have been on this list. That role requires so much vocal, physical, and emotional energy. He single handily carries that entire show.
Sorry, but no way is Evan Hansen a harder performance than Jean Valjean! Jean Valjean's vocal control and emotion are second to none. He also sings in so many of Les Mis' songs aside from his big solo numbers. In terms of vocal ability and the ability to emote to portray Valjean's brokenness, nothing touches it. Also because it is such a legacy character, the pressure of playing him is even higher.
oh hey, its you! agreed. valjean is in a league of his own. but i'm also v biased. i confess that les mis is my favourite musical.
Valjean is played by grown men with grown voices.
Evan is a teenager, who is beginning to be played by teenagers...... who haven't had time to develop and learn their voices. The role is going to destroy so many young men up there.
@@JosephJohnson-gu5fw nice argument
@@JosephJohnson-gu5fw I mean Ben Platt was in his 20's when he played Evan Hansen, so it's not like the high level productions are using people with still developing vocal chords. I'm not saying it isn't difficult to play Evan, just not so much as Valjean.
I'm not necessarily disagreeing with the level of difficulty. But if you put professional actors into a professional role.....they know how to handle it usually. But if you start casting 19 year olds in a role with very limited vocal experience, they are going to get destroyed by the role. It happened to so many Elphaba who really messed up their voices.
Evan is a different kind of challenge in that the actors they've begun casting don't have the years of professional experience to be able to handle such a difficult role. That in turn makes it even harder
I feel like MsMojo forgot *The Phantom of the Opera* exists, as this incredibly difficult play appears in neither of the lists
THEY REALLY HATE PHANTOM AND LOVE SWEENEY TODD
any one else notice how hugh jackman flawlessly played 2 of these hardest roles?
Not flawlessly, at least when it comes to Les Mis. He had to have some notes rescored and is not in the same class as Alfie Boe or Colm Wilkinson.
Good screen actor, reasonable singer.
He's a reasonable singer and a good actor, I love his interpretation of Peter, but he's not the best Valjean.
Burr's part is more difficult and emotionally taxing than Lafayette/Jefferson. -.- His raps are SERIOUSLY not that hard for anyone who actually is familiar with, and _can,_ rap.
I had never really thought about Lafayette/Jefferson being up there with the hardest of all but this vid made me actually think more about the role. Yes, Burr does a lot of emotional heavy-lifting and sings a LOT of the show and needs a very strong and beautiful voice. But for Lafayette/Jefferson, maybe consider these things: two separate characters, needs to do a convincing French accent through very fast singing and speaking, very high energy in both parts, may not be the most difficult raps or most difficult singing but do have to be able to do both well, which are two separate difficult skills, and should be a decent mover/dancer as well. I would at least say they are kinda equal, Burr having more stage time and having to carry more of the story and emotion, and Lafayette/Jefferson having more technical demands as a performer.
@@mbrusk08
I guess I've never considered a stereotypical French accent to be that difficult. I'll admit he's rather high energy, especially as LaFayette (as is Hercules Mulligan). I think Burr is still a more demanding role, especially since he's the narrator and the primary antagonist. I mean, that "Wait!" in "The World Was Wide Enough," has to deliver an emotional gut punch, and he has to portray a slow ascent from being patient, plodding and neutral to trying to be a bit more like Hamilton, which ends up with him failing, thanks to Hamilton, thus leading to the challenge.
AGREE!!! Burr has to be the most talented person in any rendition of Hamilton or it just doesn't stack up.
@@courtneyspencer7297
Then that's less about the role and more about the actor. If anyone else sounds weird to you.
Burr was done well by Leslie, and I would argue that it's one of the more difficult parts in Hamilton, only because he's the one who has the change arc.
Yes, Burr is HUGE. They're on stage doing Burr things for almost the whole show!
ok, jean valjean SHOULD have been number 1, just for the crazy vocal range alone. he is the heart of the show and needs to be played by someone who can not only carry a show but hold his own in a large cast.
you guys missed a TON of challenging roles! the phantom, aaron burr, javert, judas and jesus from jesus christ superstar, the beast from batb, countless others that aren't coming to me at the moment.
No mention of Frank N. Furter from the Rocky Horror Show? Takes great vocals and a huge amount of charisma and charm (and looking good in drag). Hedwig wouldn’t exist without it.
I disagree with basically all of this list lol. Judas from Jesus Christ Superstar is literally the hardest male role in musical theatre cannon no questions asked.
Yeah, this list is entertaining but essentially nonsense. Oh well.
I'd argue Jesus may be a bit harder to pull off. I've seen a few Judases that did a good job in hitting the emotional beats and being amazing singers. There's a bit more wiggle room for interpreting his character because he's supposed to be a flawed person who makes mistakes, and may have any sort of motives for his actions you desire to read into the role. I mean, you could just as easily play him as a man who's motivated by greed or jealousy who likes to lie to himself to justify his actions, or you can play him as a frightened man trying to do what he thinks is right. A great actor can easily make this role his own.
Jesus on the other hand... Playing Jesus requires that you both show a great deal of patience and kindness, but also doubt, fear, and righteous indignation. Play it too strongly on the negative side and you leave people wondering why this petty dude is supposed to be so beloved and thought to be divine. Play it too positive, though, and you lose the emotional resonance of the moments where he IS supposed to show doubt, fear, and pain. I've seen ONE Jesus that managed to strike the right balance of "divine" and "human" while also being an amazing singer.
Either way, I'd have been happy if EITHER of those roles were even on this list because they'd be number 1 and 2 on my list, possibly even a tie.
I've played both Jesus and Judas, they're both hard roles but I would agree with you that Jesus is the harder role to nail perfectly
Hey if you live near Valdese, North Carolina, this is the final weekend for our production of JCS Judas does a great job and I play Jesus sooo.. show plug
Sweeney Todd would like a word. Meet him at his tonsorial parlor in Fleet Street.
I was expecting Lola from Kinky boots
YESS
I was expecting Angel from Rent! The "Today 4 U" routine is EPIC, plus it's an emotionally, vocally and physically challenging role.
THANK YOU
Lola is a girl
taliagmail. com eidjdjfjfj yes but she’s played by a man bc she’s a cross dresser
For people questioning why Jean Valjean is on here, he has so many layers to him, as he has such changes in fortune, which is hard to portray without losing the essence of the character, plus the vocal aspects that they mentioned. Shocked that Phantom wasn’t here and I think J.D from Heathers deserved to at least make the Top 10.
I agree
But Dance Moms, has HEATHERS been on Broadway? Nope, didn't think so. Thus, not eligible.
AvalonMorley First Of all, I must have missed that. Second, I’ve never been to America so I don’t know what’s on Broadway. There’s no need to be rude.
And I'm sorry but Valjean is harder. Sure, Evan Hansen has to be perfected with all of the anxiety just as it would be in real life, but tell me this... is Evan dueling someone with a block of wood while singing a duet with them? No. Plus, Valjean has to play a very... (I don't know the word) flexible part while singing in a range that is huge. So, in my opinion Valjean should be #1.
The Evan actors have to put their minds into someone with mental illness.
Lizzy_E123 Lizzy_E123 yes, and Jean Valjean is a deeply emotionally damaged and complex character. Plus most Valjean’s songs are a lot more difficult. Songs like On Parole/The Bishop, Valjean’s Soliloquy, Who Am I? and Bring Him Home are all more complex than basically any song in DEH. I love DEH but, dear god, Evan’s role isn’t harder than Jean Valjean’s. And like the comment above said, Valjean sings a duet while duelling someone with a block of wood. As a singer, I can say that that shit is hard.
Grete Pihlak I’m a singer and actor as well, and evans vocals are very demanding for a young actor, Andrew Feldman started playing the role at age sixteen, he Isnt done developing. The Evan actors have to play an anxious, depressed, suicidal character.
Grete Pihlak evan has to sing songs while crying, and believe me, that’s not easy.
@@elizabethepstein9906 portraying a character with mental illness is indeed demanding and has a great impact on the psyche of the actor, and no way should be belittled, but Jean Valjean is a deeper and more complex character.
The actor has to portray a man who suffered starvation and poverty, who had to endure a punishment unmatched to the crime he had committed. A person who goes on to change his life, after he was granted kindness and mercy(by the priest). A person who tries to redeem himself by raising a poor orphan, like she was his own daughter. A person whose past has come to haunt him, cursed by fate to live his life on the run. A person who finally saves the life of his pursuer. He is a victim and a criminal, a sinner and a saint. A fatherly figure, but rough around the edges. A hero and a damned soul.
There is a reason why this role requires a more mature actor, and this reason isn't limited to vocal ability.
Evan H. is certainly a huge, challenging role, but I don't see how it's harder than, for instance, Jerry M. in AMERICAN IN PARIS. True, the singing has to be more skilled, and is far more intense, but the part of Jerry literally demands a star ballet (and jazz, acrobatics, and other styles) dancer, with true charisma, acting, and excellent ballet partnering skill. This is stuff that literally takes years, from at least a fairly early age, of intense training, along with extreme natural talent. And much of the singing is done while dancing, making a particular challenge. And, while on the subject of ballet guys, how could you not even mention Billy Elliot, who pretty much carries the bulk of the show on his talented, young shoulders? Another one: Little Chap, in STOP THE WORLD, I WANT TO GET OFF. Also, possibly, Molina, in KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN. But it's true, all the roles in this video are hugely challenging. Those calling for the Phantom to be on the list are unrealistic; while not easy, it's not in the same league as these.
YESS GO OFFF
seeing jean valjean on here gives me a serious sense of pride. i was just in a production of les mis & it was so special, i loved everyone in my cast so much & cried so much when it was over. the guy who playen valjean is so incredibly talented & just such a sweet person & i can't wait to be in more shows with him, i'm very proud of him & he did incredible in the show. ❤️
I’m so shook that there was NOTHING from Jesus Christ Superstar in here 🙄
or RENT
Jesus Christ superstar is crap sorry
@@lucianoalonso4389 rents mint though ah was surprised there was nout on here bout it
@@emmaleigh2651 Angel is a hard role to play both vocally and physically
Just because you are not particularly fond of a show does not make it "crap". It also doesn't change the fact that, vocally, the show requires immense talent. Gethsemane has to be one of the most daunting songs to sing because not only does it require passion, it requires an insane vocal range and a lot of control. @@emmaleigh2651
I'm very surprised that the role of Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar wasn't in there at all.
I agree, I like to sing along with musicals but you have to have an amazing range to sing the part of Jesus.
@@MrDougmartin yeah you have to be able to sing and act your butt off at the same time.
@@miarocchio1153 these people do the worst - best ten lists. They all must be twenty years old.
@@MrDougmartin lol yeah
lol just got off the phone with the Pope. He's so upset Jesus was left off this list that he's thinking of excommunicating MsMojo.
I'm sorry, the great comet is like my favorite, but Anatole is so much harder than Pierre. Pierre doesn't require too much of a range, nor much else than a good voice. Anatole has to dance, sing high as hell, and just overall be a perfect villain.
Eva Hesse Great Comet is like also my favorite musical, but I’m gonna have to slightly disagree with you. Don’t get me wrong, Anatole is hard as hell to get right, but Pierre only sounds easy because JOSH GROBAN is singing it. He has to cover literally three octaves and portray this lil old hermit and then fall in love with Natasha all in two hours. I think we can both agree that Great Comet needs to come back tho
Jeremy Kohler 2019 revival please?
Agreed. Comet is literally my favorite show in existence and I believe the best show ever made.... but Pierre should not have been here. I mean you don’t even have to have a great voice to play him. Look at Dave Malloy, played Pierre incredible but in no way is a great singer. If any character from Great Comet were to be on the list, it should have been Anatole or Natasha in the female list
Eva Hesse please!!!
In terms of just range, Pierre's is like crazy wide. Just listen to The Duel - he has to hit an Ab2 (How was the operaAaA) and belt a B4 (SO I SHALL BE KALLED) in the same song
That's not to say Anatole's vocal part is easier, but Pierre's got some meat to him
"dear evan hansen" HHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA THAT WAS A GOOD ONE MOJO
THANK YOU for including "An American in Paris" on this list!!!!! I watched the female version of this video with glee, and commented on it, and I feel like my comment was acknowledged and that has made me so happy! Literally loads of my favourite composers (as well as musicals) are on this video, so I watched this one, too, just as happily. Keep the musical theatre themed ones coming!!! :) :)
the PHANTOM of the Opera should be in Top 3.... or at least INCLUDED
Pretty great list, but I had to laugh at the narrator talking about Jekyll and Hyde requiring amazing acting chops while you played a clip of hasselhoff
Jonathan McCormick exactly!! Hasslefholf was by far the worst Jekyll out of the bunch
I'm not super familiar with the Jekyll and Hyde production, but maybe it was more a lack of quality video material to use in the video itself to use for an example than the person performing the role?
Lol ikr
Actually, I've seen worse or at least equally as bad as Hoff... At least the guy tried. Sebastian Bach is another one that is touch and go, and for very similar reasons. Both were rock singers, not Broadway actors. And both had a similarly bad performance. Somehow Bach stayed on for 6 months, though. Otherwise, yes I agree, it is silly to show Hoff when talking about great performances. I can provide a long list of other productions to have pulled clips from with non Hoff actors, and also live concert performances with the same actors of those songs.
lol. Well, he's a case in point, really about WHY you need the acting chops, because he definitely lacked them... Compare his "Confrontation" to others floating around, and yeah... no contest. The show's writing is a bit below par to begin with, but can be pulled off with a great actor. In fact, you MUST have a great actor for it to even be workable. Fail in that, and nothing will save that show.
I’d say Quasimodo from Hunchback for the range of Made of stone and out there
And the fact that there are many actors who have played him who are deaf (as in the book Quasimodo is supposed to be deaf or hard of hearing because of ringing the bells every moring), and they are FANTASTIC. Obviously they aren’t doing the singing (when I saw the show in Seattle, one of the actors playing a gargoyle did the singing) but the absolute talent in their acting if phenomenal, I was crying for most of it because I was just in awe.
In my personal opinion, Jean Valjean is a lot harder than Evan Hansen. He has to use stronger vocals, sing in a lot of songs, and be a great actor to portray his emotions to the audience. Yes, Evan has to be younger and his voice (actor) may not be as fully developed as the males who portray Jean Valjean, but they don't need to be fully matured. Their role as Evan Hansen isn't tough enough that their vocal cords need to be as mature as the males who play Valjean. The males that play Valjean had to act harder and work harder so their voice would be so good, it captured the audience's attention and made them pay attention to him.
I also think JD SHOULD have been in the top 10, not honorable mentions. The male actors for JD had to act sadistic, crazy, and head over heels, all while singing songs and moving around constantly. They had to portray sadness, anger, insanity, love, and pain. They had to show all these emotions in all the songs (by all I mean all songs they sing, all songs JD is seen or performs in).
I usually leave it up for personal preference when it comes to these "Top 10" lists, and I am happy about quite some mentions in this, but no Phantom in both male and female list is surprising!
Also, personal thought but playing Jekyll/Hyde is incredibly challenging for the complexity of both characters and the switching in between a song, not only the voice needs to change but the entire persona you are, it's crazy difficult to go back and forth and literally sing against yourself with so much power and rage and desperation, and overall upkeep the strenght and flexibility in those characters - I see it that Evan is a very hard role to act out, and I love the musical so much, but (personally) acting-wise roles like Jekyll/Hyde or Valjean take the cake for both challenging voice ranges and the heartfelt, overwhelming acting.
So disappointed that Dr. Frank-N-Furter didn't make the cut, just look at those heels the costume!
Really? I might be the only person that hates DEH, but here goes....why that and not, say, the Phantom? Jack from Newsies? Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof? There were way, way more challenging roles to put there. Popular doesn't always mean good.
I DON'T GET DEH EITHER!!!!!!!!! I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING!!!
The role of Evan Hansen is far harder than any of the ones you listed. Not only is he belting throughout the whole damn show, but he is in every song but one, and the emotion needed to execute this role is insane. Like in the song, Words Fail, he is literally sobbing, snot and all, throughout the whole song. Multiple that by 8 shows a week and you get one of the hardest roles on Broadway .
Ayouba Swaray i disagree. Plenty of Broadway shows require you to use emotion and belt. Those are basics. i can see that it might be impaxctful emotin to some ( though I personally find it exploitative and gross), but it's not harder than Tevye - an older man strugglong with the turmoils of having a familg in a difficult time period, or the Phantom....whic h is the freaking Phantom. You're free to think so, but in my opinion emotion and belting are two basics of any show any performer can bring to the table. It in no way outclasses any of the roles I mentioned with that.
@@SupremeLeaderKokichiOma Tryna to dilute the role to something as rudimentary as belting and emotion is lazy. Arguably, when you are a teenager is the time where your emotions are the most out of control due to hormones and the process of figuring yourself out. Add that with an introverted boy who has serve social anxiety amonst other sociak issues who just got himself mixed up with the suicide of a suggestive physcopath and you see why this is such a difficult role to take on. Evan literally carries the entire show on his back. Not to mention he has an entire mental breakdown in a 7 min song where it's just him and the stage, crying his heart out trying to make sense of all the egregious things he's done. The reason why this role is so difficult is because Evan is still a teenager so the rollercoster of emotions he has to execute has to be accurate to the tee or not only will teenagers and young adult won't be convinced, but parents who knows how it feel to deal with teens not understand either. Last note, his songs are very hard to sing since he is constantly belting not to metioned because of his social anxiety he has to do ticks and slight but noticeable physical movements to display that.
@@ayoubaswaray1856
O...kay. Still getting 'he's a teenager, he's got social anxiety, he's emotional, he's the main character of the show'...which is great! I can understand why people appreciate it...still doesn't make him outclass Tevye or the Phantom. Listen to 'Do You Love Me?', 'Sunrise, Sunset', 'Why So Silent'...just being an emotional teenager isn't enough to make him outclass anyone, however relatable it is. I appreciate that this show may have touched you and some other people emotionally...but it's not revolutionary. There are several musicals out there about teens with social anxiety and suffering issues, Be More Chill being another, they all put emphasis into their performances, but they can't outclass the classics. As for songs where characters break down and it's just them and the stage...'Santa Fe' is another. So I can't ever agree with that. I don't think we'll get each others point of view changed anytime soon X3
what about Jack Kelly from Newsies?? the last note in Santa Fe is certainly NOT easy and the song in general requires incredible breath control. and what about Billy from Billy Elliot?? that role is played by a fucking child who has to dance, sing and act the titular role on stage at a young age and that’s definitely NOT easy.
Billy absolutely
Jack Kelly sustains an A4, a common note for most music theatre males in the baritenor to high tenor range. The dance is spectacular, but the show musically is no more or less challenging than most contemporary musicals.
Sarah S the last note in Santa Fe is a4 that’s easy for a guy
@@mkale1749 while i agree that an A4 is a common note for musical theater, it is NOT at ALL easy to hit for a guy. trust me. thats the whole reason why most shows of Newsies have Santa Fe transposed down a half step.
I swear to God if Angle from RENT isn't on here I'm going to be so sad
Ultimate death exactly. Jumping on and off tables, drumming while singing and dancing this killer choreography ánd doing all of this on killer heels.... (s)he had to be funny, but also be able to hit you right in the feels with that storyline. (S)he should deserve a spot on the list simply for making people accept she killed a dog and even laugh about it 🤣
Sorry but Angel*
Roles that deserve to be on this list wayyy before DEH: the Emcee from Cabaret, the phantom, Billy Flynn from Chicago, tevye from Fiddler on the Roof. Like??!
Here's a few other hardest male musical roles that weren't mentioned:
.The Prince (Beauty and the Beast)
.Squidward Tentacles (SpongeBob SquarePants)
.Billy Elliot (Billy Elliot)
.Judas (Jesus Christ Superstar)
.Edna Turnbland a cross dressing role (Hairspray)
.
Have you ever seen a show that was written before1990?
Tom Shea Not everyone is a dusty grandma’.
Personally, I would think Jesus had the harder role in JCS. You'd have to hit a G5 to make the role.
@@masarusenpai1952 Judas is harder but Jesus is also really hard! Not everyone can play Jesus!
Tbh all Les Mis characters are pretty intense. Ramin Karimloo is a brilliant idiot for playing almost every male role
Also in Les Mis they have actual fight scenes so thats also something to consider.
And I miss The Phantom here haha. He is a pretty demanding role aswel
I’m dead about the part about Ramin 😂😂 best comment I’ve ever seen
Such a hug fan of Karimloo. Ugh! *swoon*
He also played *fantine*
You do know that Ramin Karimloo also did a cover of I dreamed a Dream? So we need him as Fantine!
I'm honestly surprised Billy from Billy Elliott isn't on here
Chelsea Hazlehurst I was expecting billy to be number one
Billys performance in the angry dance alone makes him deserve the top spot.
Seriously. Any time there's a "hardest roles" list, I expect to see Billy. That kid is pretty much on stage dancing his face off for the whole show! And it's such an emotional role, but still has to be natural and subtle and often funny. And to top it off, you have to be a child to play it. That role is a beast. I'm surprised it isn't mentioned more often.
Actually, you're right. That's a good role that requires an extremely talented triple threat KID to pull off.
I think Oliver Twist deserves at least a mention. A child has to carry the entire play: singing, dancing, and act with a wide dramatic range.
Both Valjean and Javert in Les Miserables (vocal and acting); The Phantom (vocal and acting); Freddie in Chess (vocal); Judas and Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar (acting and vocal range); Peter Allen in the Boy from Oz (singing, dancing and acting).
Can't believe neither Judas nor Jesus from Jesus Christ Superstar was on here. Extremely disappointing
Okay Mojo. I applaud you for realizing that The Great Comet of 1812 exists, but Dear Even Hansen? Really? I get it that you're trying to pander to a younger audience but honestly.
agrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeed my frend
Innocent Killdeer AMEN
Took the words right out of my mouth. I honestly don't get why people are so gaga, not only over DEH, but of any of the songs by Pasek and Paul (including La La Land and The Greatest Showman).
I do not believe Evan Hansen should have been number one, but maybe...5..Nothing against Ben Platt
I don't know about number one, but if you've seen the show? It's VERY emotionally taxing. The singing isn't really that hard, but I think I'd push it in to my personal top ten because of the acting ability.
I’ve always wanted to play J.D since I’ve listened to Heathers,
Problem is I’m not male.
I want to play J.D. in my ninth grade musical project next year. But the problem is it’s extremely embarassing to do a sex scene in front of a live audience.
@@lambdadeltasfanclubmanager9078 wait they would let ninth graders do that?
As if that could stop you.
GO FOR IT FAM!
@@LemonlyLive Yeah, for some reason that mostly made it into the school edition, but they decided part of "Lifeboat" was too inappropriate. I've never understood the reasoning behind what makes school edition musicals more appropriate than the real thing (looking at you, les mis.)
lol. Yeah... Why is it that all the fun roles I like singing along with/find it easier to sing along with are all men? No love for us gals down in the lower register? Nope. It's always Sopranos and mezzos belting it out in the middle range or whizzing around in the stratosphere. So I'm usually stuck singing with the tenor lead, or the villain. Or both. :P
Also, Dewey Finn, anyone? Jumping around the entire duration of a very high energy show and having crazy rock high notes? Seems WILD.
Who knew there was never a difficult male role in musical theater until the 90s!!
I am SO GLAD the D'ysquith family is on here!!
Ikr?! I don't know about elsewhere but where I'm from, that show is completely unheard of and it's great. I'm just glad they remembered it exists.
I mean Jean Valjean pretty much appears in majority of the scene. Not only you need a wide voice range, you also need to know how to sing the song emotionally and powerful. Displaying the character’s realisations (especially in the Soliloquy and Who Am I) is pretty tough as well. If you think about it, you are pretty much about to act a lifetime.
Billy Bigelow from Carousel, Jesus/Judas from JCS, George from Sunday in the Park with George, Don Quijote from Man of La Mancha, Otto Kringelein from Grand Hotel, Freddie Trumper from Chess, Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof -- where were these??? I don't think those Hamilton roles and Evan Hansen are any more demanding as these others. Also, this list doesn't really go very far back in the musical theater canon, but then again Ms.Mojo always sticks to contemporary things to keep people clicking on their videos.
Couldn't agree more! Especially Chess! Starlight should have been number one! You have to sing, dance, act and skate!
I am soooo glad you mentioned Freddie Trumper from Chess. "Pity the Child" is a vocal and acting tour-de-force. And what about Angel from Rent?! Angel does backflips in "Today 4 U" and is the life-force of the show.
Omgoodness finally someone acknowledging Freddie in Chess.
I got to meet Hugh Jackman after one of his performances in the Boy From Oz. He was signing autographs out back behind the theater and the poor guy was just exhausted. I honestly felt bad, and didn't want to bother him further, but he was so nice and gracious and insisted on signing it for me. Such a sweet guy, and I'll always remember that amazing performance.
Should be here IMHO:
Leo Frank - Parade
Anatoly and/or Freddy - Chess
Fabrizio - Light in the Piazza
Albin - La Cage Au Faux
Freddy Benson - Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Chris - Miss Saigon
The fact jack Kelly wasn't on here HAVE U NOT LISTENED TO NEWSIES?
Belty high notes are not considered hard anymore for a leading man. Plus he has an ensemble full of dancing boys to distract at any moment. (Note both Jeremy and Corey are my favorite male singers)
Bailey Monroe Lmao I was waiting for jack
I think the entire ensemble of Newsies should have gotten at least an honorable mention for their dancing at least.
Personally I don’t think Jack should be on the list. Yes, I agree, his role is difficult, but there are so many that are even harder to pull off. I love newsies, don’t get me wrong, but it’s just not as hard as other shows. Jack Kelly’s range would be considered easy for many experienced, professional singers, and there’s only one or two scenes where Jack is portraying a heavy, strong emotion (which most professional actors can pull off). I’m not discrediting him from being a difficult role, but it’s nowhere near the most difficult.
I love Jack but there are a lot of other harder ones. Plus personally, I think the hardest role Jeremy Jordan had to play was Clyde Barrow but that's just me.
Where is Clyde Barrowww from Bonnie & Clyde have you ever heard the song Raise A Little Hell? Sweet Jesus! Good list nonetheless.
Oh Wow This is my exact thought!!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
@@anastasiabyheart That show is super underrated. In Raise A Little Hell, there's a note at the end that goes higher for about 13 seconds. Plus constant growling and he has to act pissed while still lovestruck with Bonnie.
Oh Wow EXACTLY 👏🏻👏🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
Oh my GOD, I love that show!! Agreed, super underrated and definitely deserves a revival, in my opinion.
There's a Bonnie and Clyde musical?! How have I never heard of it?
I'm literally related to Clyde (great great uncle on my mothers side)
I'm now gonna go look this up!
Lafayette was not deserving of a spot, sorry. How about Bobby from Company, Judas/Jesus from JCSS, the Phantom, George Seurat, the lead in Nine (im blanking on his name, but for gods sake, the only male role in the show). It could have been any of these
Also BILLY BIGELLOW
Isn't the guy from nine named Gordo
@@MusicalWeirdo-df2qo its guido, actually
Though I do agree that those roles do deserve to be up there, Lafayette/Jefferson does deserve at least a spot. You have to go through two different accents, music styles and you have to be able to rap extremely quickly, jump off of high places while dancing and singing. It is very straining on the actor having to switch so quickly into almost polar opposites
@@eurydicecoded honorable mention is better. Besides difficult wrapping portions, there is not much that sets the role apart in a requirements/demands sense compared to most comic relief. Sometimes is seems as if they put Hamilton things up there to appease some of the fans who act like its really the only one that maters or caries any wait in the theatre.
What about Angel Schunard from Rent? He’s a really tough role to play
Can we all just recognize that Hugh Jackman is a legend who’s played multiple of these. He’s fantastic!
Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
I DIED WHEN I SAW KURT AT 0:55 WHO ELSE
Jen veljean les mis
Holly ludlow thanks you😂❤️
@@miccityson Jean Valjean has far more songs, solos and acting range required
lmao that's the funniest thing Ive ever heard, Javert is the second easiest role in the play next to the master of the house.
And the phantom. Both of them need a huge tenor range that's pretty rare, which is why actors who play one often also end up playing the other.
10:41....for all the people saying they didn't include Erik/Phantom....look...its Ramin!!!
I think Angel from Rent should be on here because of the combination of singing, dancing, and drumming
Um...how is The Phantom of the Opera not on this list?
OMG THEY INCLUDED DONNY NOVITSKI AS AN HONORABLE MENTION!!!!
also I think I feel like, Billy Bigelow from Carousel, Marvin from Falsettos, Jason McConnell from Bare: the pop opera, and Clyde from Bonnie and Clyde could have easily been at least honorable mentions
I agree. Anyone who has seen the show, or maybe seen the bootleg on UA-cam, or maybe even listened to the soundtrack can agree that the role of Clyde requires a wide vocal range, incredible breath control (Raise A Little Hell), and I dunno, he shows a lot of emotion and character. He's childish, playful and sweet (Only to Bonnie and his family), but also full of vengeance and anger.
To be honest, althought I totally admire Evan Hansen and think it’s indeed one of the most difficult characters to play, it really surprised me the fact it’s being compared with other characters such as Jean Valjean, being “Dear Evan Hansen” a very, very modern musical.
I love Memphis so much, so it was just awesome to see a reference to it at all. And the actor they showed playing Huey is def the best I've ever seen perform that role. Sometimes it just doesn't work with some others I've seen in the role.
Evan Hansen does not deserve to be number one. The musical doesn't even do anxiety justice and he performs selfishly. Closing your eyes through most of the song cuts off the audience. Sweeney is much more complex and difficult. Jean is more complex. What about burrs from Wild Party? The man has full on break downs in songs while belting in a top tenor range. Moritz from spring awakening deserves an honorable mention because the acting that going into a believable killing yourself onstage is difficult. Looking at the clips you picked I think you're only impressed by a high belt which is sad. Non theatre people need to broaden their horizons.
Also a lot of trained theatre people don't like Dear Evan Hansen. It's a pretty selfish show.
Theatric_Musician, which Burrs are you referring to? Only Michael John La Chiusa's was on Broadway. It is, indeed, a crazy challenging role.
I saw Michael Lee Brown as Evan Hansen. Personally, I thought he performed the role better acting-wise. It's quite an emotionally difficult role if you see the show in full- I wouldn't say number one, but It's in my personal top ten list. As for the musical and anxiety, as someone who has social anxiety, I thought it was a good portrayal of my experiences with anxiety- but it's different for everyone.
Luna Anne I think the role in itself has a tendency to go very selfish and very self pitying. I think that the show often shows symptoms but doesn't really tackle the disorder. It feeds into a stereotype of symptoms. I think that the only reason people think it's a difficult role is because of the belting. I think that the musical is okay. I also have anxiety and I wasn't a fan. I think that there are plenty of more challenging roles that deal with similar subject matter. They may not be musicals but often the hard hitting subjects are tackled by plays.
AvalonMorley that one! Although the Lippa one is fun too.
@@Laurensfuzzywuzzy True. I don't think it's that difficult vocally, especially not for Broadway (Don't get me wrong though, Ben Platt is insanely talented) and I can think of more difficult roles to act. I would've put Moritz on as well and probably Marvin from Falsettos, The Phantom from Phantom of the Opera, and probably Burr instead of Lafayette/Jefferson.
Ummmmmm... Where is Lola from Kinky Boots on this list? Like seriously that is no easy feat to pull off.
Fairs on all but I'm really surprised that Billy Elliot is never mentioned in these lists - surely that is by far the toughest role out there (or maybe on par with Valjean and Evan), not only because there is a great deal of acting involved, portraying a real life event that audience members will have been affected by, dancing your butt off, and being on stage for pretty much for the entire show, but also because it's all done by a 10-13 year old kid!
Also on top of all that they have to master the Durham accent
He's #1 on the list for top hardest roles for kids in musicals in their other video
These lists almost always focus solely on more recent shows and some of the roles aren't as hard as MsMojo would suggest.
Josh Skudlarek catering to younger musical theatre fans and completely ignoring some beloved classics...but that’s how you get views I guess. smh
I absolutely agree. So many major roles not even mentioned. Off the top of my head, I can think of Tevye, Cervantes/Don Quixote, Billy Bigelow, Harold Hill, Georges/George, Max Bialystock, Barnum, Albin/ZaZa, Pseudolus, and I could keep going...
Rocky, from Rock Horror picture show. Because not only do you need to sing, you need to look like an idealized body builder type. Finding people who are into theatre, can sing and act, and look like that is such a challenge.
So while the singing role isn't the most complex (its one of the easier ones). It would be the hardest one for most male performers to try to do.
I love Rocky Horror and agree. And certainly Frank N. Furter should be on the list, too. Takes a hell of a lot of charisma, good voice, and looking good in drag.
I would have given Jekyll/Hyde a higher rank: one of the songs (called "The way back" or "No one must ever know") is so tough a singer lost consciousness once after exerting so much energy singing it (it's long and high and and rapid so hyperventilating maybe?)
ok but what about orpheus from hadestown. that requires such a high vocal range!
Thea Rilow im not being rude, but it’s pretty new right? not enough people have heard it yet, such as myself
the show was first performed in 2016, earlier than dear evan hansen, which they included here. to be fair it still hasn't had its broadway run yet (it's going to in april) but heathers is a pretty recent off-broadway show from 2014 that they also included. but you're right, not a lot of people know it yet, but i do hope that changes, because it's an amazing and beautiful musical
The show isn't even on Broadway yet. We have to wait a little more
FINALLY! Also Mr. Hades should be there
My Mothers Would Be Thrilled oh yeah absolutely
Does anybody else with a keen eye notice Burr's dance move around 7:15? Hahaha!
Happy 2019, Mojoholics!🙌🎊 Jean Valjean is quite the demanding role in that he's in the most scenes, and has to sing really emotional, powerful songs! Sweeney Todd and Evan Hansen are also amazing roles, as is J.D. from "Heathers", in that he has to be convincing as a troubled psychopath!
I wouldn't call JD a psychopath. I'd say he more likely has borderline personality disorder... at least in the musical.
MY NAME IS CAITRIONA AS WELL SPENT THAT WAY OMGGG
@@caitrionawright584 Cool, you're the only other person I've known who had the same name with that exact spelling!
@@trinaq my mum's name is Katriona, it was meant to be Catriona but her dad misspelled it lol. She goes by Kate
+AnnabethNeeds 2MeetHermione That's neat, I know another Catriona whose real name was Catherine, but they all called her Catriona to differentiate from her aunt Catherine, who lived with them. Eventually, the name stuck.
You must think singing actors and musical were invented around 2001. Did you know that musicals existed prior to 1998? That there was no such thing as "auto-tune" or microphones that could hide inside your costume, and performers had to actually sing over a live orchestra, enunciate with their voices alone without electronic assistants? Where are:
Prof Harold Hill, The Music Man - "Ya Got Trouble"
Dr. Frank N Furter, Rocky Horror - "Sweet Transvestite"
Emile deBecque, South Pacific - "This Nearly Was Mine"
Old Joe, Showboat, "Old Man River"
Don Quixote, Man of La Mancha, "The Impossible Dream"
Jesus, Jesus Christ Superstar - "The Garden of Gethsemane"
Billy, Carousel - "You'll Never Walk Alone"
Tony, West Side Story - "Maria"
Curly Joe, Oklahoma - "O What A Beautiful Morning"
Lancelot, Camelot - "C'est Moi!"
Not only because these are already difficult to pull off, nor because these require flawless musicianship and diction, and also not because these songs are so well-established in the public's mind, but because each of these songs establishes the character and tell us who he is. No room for error, and some very high steps to follow from the past. If you dont' have a performer who can do these memorably and flawlessly, you don't have a show, no matter who else is in your cast or what else they can do.
Uh.. les mis came out in the 80s, and sweeney told, and Jekyll and hide came out before then, and I'm pretty sure a gentleman's guide to love and murder did too
Though I agree, harold hill should have been on the list
@@Nebulas17 Yes, my point wasn't so much about specific years when a show premiered but that there are so many other "killer" roles that are iconic and just as daunting and difficult to pull it off, if not more so than many of the roles listed by Watchmojo.
Great choices. I was a little surprised, thought, that Judas from "Jesus Christ, Superstar" didn't even make the honorable mentions.
I think Jean Valjean probably should have taken #1
I think the phantom should be here. Phantom of the opera is a musical not an actual opera
So glad Sweeney Todd, Jekyll/Hyde, and Evan Hansen got included! Some other characters I feel should have been included are Dr. Frank n Further from Rocky Horror Picture Show, Phantom from Phantom Of The Opera, and anyone from a Disney musical (I've done the highschool version of both The Lion King and Aladdin, and let me say, there will always be great expectations put on the lead's shoulders because of how timeless the movies are)
... Yeah... I can sing Frank'N'Furter pretty easily... and I'm a chick. Also Phantom, and pretty much any male lead in any Disney film. So while enjoyable, these roles aren't nearly as demanding as say Judas or Jesus from Jesus Christ Superstar, or Jekyll/Hyde from Jekyll and Hyde.
Honestly I’m glad that Donny Novitski was on it even just in honourable mentions because bandstand is SO UNDERRATED
Great list! If you make another top 10, a few roles to consider, in my opinion, are Genie, the Engineer, Quasimodo, Lola (From Kinky Boots) and Lord Farquad. Keep up the great work!